


When did you fall?

by missberryisbest



Series: ~Fluff for Maf~ [8]
Category: The Magicians (TV), The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Genre: Fake Dating, Fluff, Gen, M/M, fluffy fluff fluff, one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 05:16:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18793759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missberryisbest/pseuds/missberryisbest
Summary: The car ride to the restaurant was hell. Eliot was always aware of Quentin’s body, but now? Now he knew what Q’s skin felt like against his lips? Fucking torture to be so near and so far. Thankfully they had the back of the car to themselves, and both Rebecca and Monica seemed fully engrossed with the traffic, so El snuck a hand across the middle seat and gently placed it on Quentin’s knee. He felt the way Q tensed and then relaxed under his touch, and just to be cruel he caressed Q’s thigh with his thumb, being sure to innocently look out the window as Q muttered fuuuck under his breath .





	When did you fall?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kickassfu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickassfu/gifts).



_ I could get used to this _ , Quentin thought while Eliot was gently moving him back towards the bed, not once breaking contact with his lips. He couldn’t lie, he had thought many times about what Eliot would taste and feel like, but reality was turning out to be better than anything he had ever imagined.

Eliot had just sat down on the bedspread and pulled Quentin into his lap, which was very agreeable to the smaller man, when a knock at the door quickly snapped them back to reality. But then Eliot looked at him, growled, and started kissing him even more thoroughly. 

Another knock. “Quentin!” Monica trilled through the door. 

Eliot had shifted his focus and was kissing along Q’s neck and jaw, so Quentin thought he could be forgiven for the tremble in his voice when he answered.

“Yeah, mom?” he called out.

“We leave for the restaurant in exactly three minutes” she reminded him.

“Sure thing!” Q said. “We’re, ah, just putting on our shoes.”

Eliot laughed into Q’s shirt, and placed one last kiss on Q’s collarbone. 

“Fuck” Eliot said, helping Q up out of his lap and straightening his clothes. “I forgot about food.”

Q laughed. “To be fair, for a minute there, so did I.”   
“Only for a minute?” Eliot asked, pretending to be insulted. “Come on, Q. Grab your shoes and let’s go eat. I want to hear what your mom says about your hair, too.”

\--

Monica liked the man bun. “Now you just have to cut the hair and then we can see your cute little baby boy face in all its glory all the time!”

Eliot looked horrified. “Don’t you _ fucking  _ dare” he whispered into Q’s ear, snaking a hand out to give the bun a nice tug. Quentin flushed and sucked in a breath.

\--

The car ride to the restaurant was hell. Eliot was always aware of Quentin’s body, but now? Now he knew what Q’s skin felt like against his lips? Fucking torture to be so near and so far. Thankfully they had the back of the car to themselves, and both Rebecca and Monica seemed fully engrossed with the traffic, so El snuck a hand across the middle seat and gently placed it on Quentin’s knee. He felt the way Q tensed and then relaxed under his touch, and just to be cruel he caressed Q’s thigh with his thumb, being sure to innocently look out the window as Q muttered  _ fuuuck  _ under his breath _. _

_ \-- _

“So, Eliot. When did you fall for Quentin?” Rebecca asked after they placed their orders and got their drinks.

“Yeah” Monica chimed in. “We heard all about how Q was enamored as soon as he saw you, but tell us your side of the story.”

Quentin busied himself with rearranging the salt and pepper, trying to act like he wasn’t also intently listening.

Eliot settled back in his chair, smiling. “Well, Q and I did have an instant connection.” Eliot said grabbing his drink, ready to put on a whole performance. “I was his guide to his initial entrance exam, and I have to tell you, when I saw this cute little puppy stumble up the steps, I definitely noticed.”

Quentin smiled, remembering the day.

“Of course, that was mostly chemistry and aesthetic attraction,” El admitted. “I didn’t really know him yet. But I decided I wanted to.” Eliot flicked his eyes to Q, a little nervously.  _ This is veering an awful lot closer to truth than I intended when we were back at Brakebills, _ Eliot thought.  _ Just be honest, no one can fault you for the truth.  _ He instructed himself. 

“Every day I got to know him a bit more, and the more I learned about him the more I wanted to know. It was like he was a puzzle, and each day I got to hold and know a new piece, and the closer I got to seeing the whole picture, the more I realized how beautiful it was going to be.” El said.

The waiter came and refilled their bread basket and their waters. Monica and Rebecca were smiling at Eliot, looking completely caught up in the tale. Quentin was staring at Eliot, head cocked to the side, and it made the butterflies in Eliot’s stomach go fucking crazy. He took a drink to steady his nerves.

“I can’t pick the one exact moment” Eliot said, finally. “I was falling for him from the minute we met, I was still falling for him less than a second ago. I’m just glad I get to keep seeing the pieces that make Quentin who he is. I’m fucking thrilled for every second he chooses to share the way he sees the world with me.”

He looked at Quentin and just  _ willed  _ him to see that what he was about to say was the truth. “You just see the beauty in the world. The hope. When I’m with you, I see it, too.” El looked down, fidgeting with his pocket square. “You help me see it in me,” he finished, quietly.

Rebecca actually clapped, a little, before sheepishly reaching into the bread basket for another dinner roll.

\--

“Quentin’s turn, Quentin’s turn!” Recebba sang, buttering her bread. 

“You, ah, expect me to follow that?” Q asked, jokingly trying to avoid having to speak until the lump in his throat got smaller.

“Yes.” Monica said firmly. “When did things for you change from crush to something bigger?”

Eliot looked at him, and Q could tell that the taller man was wondering the same thing, even if he wasn’t saying it.

“Okay,” Quentin said, taking a deep breath. “I guess for me, it was that Eliot saw me and liked me anyways.” Eliot frowned slightly, so Q quickly tried to clarify. “It’s just, ah, Eliot is so beautiful, and kind. And so… Eliot. And he saw me, like,  _ saw _ me. And liked it. And that was it. _ ” _ Q shrugged. “I was a goner. And then,” Q flushed and looked at Eliot directly, unable to keep talking around the man, and needing to talk to him. 

“You let me see you, and I did. And god, Eliot, you’re just so fucking wonderful. And funny.” Quentin started unconsciously moving closer to Eliot as he spoke. “You saw me, and then you let me see you. And everything I see is so…. Pretty. And  _ complicated _ …” Q trailed off, staring at Eliot, forgetting they had an audience. “You’re so pretty, and complicated, and wonderful, El.” He finished. 

Searching Eliot’s eyes, Q saw the answer to a question he was too afraid to ask out loud, and after a brief hesitation, he closed the distance between them, kissing Eliot sweetly but oh so shortly. 

Because Monica cleared her throat. “I really and truly don’t want to interrupt” she said, looking chagrined. “But our waiter Larry is here, and ah, those plates look pretty hot.”

Q laughed, El did, too, but they separated enough for the waiter to put down their food. Q looked at his mom and Rebecca, and Jesus Christ, Monica Coldwater was  _ smiling. _

_ If I made her smile, then who wins the bet? _ Q asked himself. He looked to his side, and Eliot was also smiling.  _ Honestly,  _ Q decided.  _ At this point I don’t care. _


End file.
